Wow, Thomas Friedman, NYT: Making America Stupid

[steve2470]

He's very critical of McSame in this op-ed. Is this typical for him ?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/opinion/14friedman.html

"In order to disguise the fact that the core of his campaign is to continue the same Bush policies that have led 80 percent of the country to conclude we’re on the wrong track, McCain has decided to play the culture-war card. Obama may be a bit professorial, but at least he is trying to unite the country to face the real issues rather than divide us over cultural differences."

more at link above

[ibegurpard]

1. No, it's not

Friedman is a conservative, albeit a more thoughtful one than most.

[Hamlette]

5. Friedman is not a conservative, never has been

he supported the war in Iraq...for a time.

Before that he was reliably leftist and even his columns on the war were thoughtful.

I think he's a lightweight who just happened to have been assigned to the Middle East as a reporter for 10 years. Back when the Middle East was not the focus of all the attention.

He's a decent guy, but not as brilliant as some.

[Mojambo]

9. Friedman isn't a conservative. He's just a supply side liberal.

Which is just as bad, imo.

[OneGrassRoot]

2. I think selecting Palin and choosing a path of LIES...

is bringing traditional conservatives (even ones we've loved to hate) to the fore to speak out against them. They see the danger; they see it is partisanship at all costs, taken to a new level.

I think they're genuinely frightened, as they should be.

BTW, I LOVE THAT PIC!!!! :)

[Hansel]

8. Good Point. If anything will turn the tide for Obama this is it.

And there will be no looking back.

I think there are moderate Republicans leaders who have sat anxiously silent on the side lines for a long time while their party and this country have been destroyed by these neocon jerks. I'm not sure that they will sit silent much longer. McCain's nasty campaign is going to make it that much easier for them to speak up.

Obama is a once in a lifetime leader and they know it.

[CitizenLeft]

3. penguin and polar bear pic...

:rofl:

[GoesTo11]

4. It's an excellent piece of analysis, not just cheerleading

Friedman likes to write about the big picture, where he's definitely hit or miss. But here he sees McCain screwing up the big picture, so he uses that entree to talk about McCain's approach to problems (slogans) vs. Obama's (innovative solutions). And at this level, he gets what's happening dead on. Many great lines too. My favorite:

"McCain talks about how he would build dozens of nuclear power plants. Oh, really? They go for $10 billion a pop. Where is the money going to come from? From lowering taxes? From banning abortions? From borrowing more from China? From having Sarah Palin “reform” Washington — as if she has any more clue how to do that than the first 100 names in the D.C. phonebook?"

[steve2470]

6. glad some of you like my sig pic, I love it :) nt

[BeyondGeography]

7. "Typewriters baby, typewriters"

Obama should use that.

[DCBob]

10. Friedman is great. Read his books -- they are brilliant.

My fav is the "The World is Flat".